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First attempt at renumbering in N gauge


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I thought that it might be worthwhile having a go at a spot of renumbering while I wait for my shed to be ready to be built, as I shall need to do quite a bit of renumbering if I am to avoid duplicates on my planned N gauge layout set in 1989 on the Western Region of BR.

 

I thought that I should start with the most basic of tasks, renumbering a relatively inexpensive Graham Farish Mk. 2D that I bought secondhand. I chose this because it is the least valuable item of rolling stock that I have acquired that was made after Bachmann took over Graham Farish and more modern production methods were used, including printing/painting methods.

 

I initially attempted to see whether the numbers could simply be scratched off with a wooden cocktail stick. They can be - but this scratches off the blue paint as well, so this was not entirely successful (although the damage is barely visible now that I have applied the new numbers). I then tried Brasso, of which I have quite a bit to polish my brass door handles and candle sticks. Initially, I tried to apply it using a cotton bud, but that was not successful, as the number for these carriages is very small, and I needed to preserve the region letter (in this case, "E" - this carriage is intended to be used on cross-country services) as I do not have any transfers with these prefix letters. I found that applying the Brasso with a cocktail stick worked well, using the side of the point to rub in the Brasso until the numbers disappeared. This time, although the cocktail stick turned blue indicating that the blue paint was being affected, the number was removed with the area below it remaining a uniform blue, so this method was much more successful.

 

I then used Fox Transfers of the water slide type to apply the new number where the old number had been. As I do not have any books of carriage numbers, and this is intended to be a test in any event (and this carriage will probably be replaced when the new Graham Farish Mk. 2 carriages are eventually released), I guessed at what seemed to be a suitble number of 5589, and put together the numbers from transfer sheet F2470.

 

Here is a picture of the Brasso side of the carriage after application of the numbers:

 

40915745525_60c1ae8474_b.jpgRenumbered Graham Farish Mk. 2D carriage (detail) by James Petts, on Flickr

 

The E is, as I thought might be the case, a little bigger than the numbers unfortunately, but, as noted above, I could not replace this, as I do not have any letter transfers at present. The whole thing is sufficiently teeny on an N gauge carriage that one would have to have sharp eyes to notice, I think.

 

I have some clear matt acrylic varnish on order, but it has not arrived yet, so I cannot apply the final coat of varnish as recommended by the manufacturer of the transfers, but hopefully I will be able to do this shortly when it arrives.

 


 

Next, I thought that I should have a go at a class 47 - I had bought two examples of the Graham Farish 47 535 "The University of Leicester" (372-240) with the intention of renumbering one of them. It is not easy to find a suitable locomotive to which to renumber it, as 47535 had a somewhat unusual flush headcode area at the front end as shown here:

 

26487135013_3e2a69c6ff_b.jpg47535 - Leeds April 1989 by Albert Murray, on Flickr

 

and is accurately reproduced on the model.

 

However, I was able to find one or two locomotives that were in the large logo livery in 1989 that had this front end, including 47656, which was evidently used on cross-country services via the Western Region:

 

9071058662_7c11274d7e_b.jpg47656 by Roger Marks, on Flickr

 

For the larger numbers of the large logo livery, I found the cocktail stick ineffective, and reverted to the cotton bud. I was able to remove both the numbers and the name, leaving the expected glossy surface (which is good for accepting transfers).

 

Using Fox Transfers F2310, I added the number to both sides in the usual way as recommended by the instructions (warm water with soap). I found that a cocktail stick was the best thing to use to manoeuvre the numbers into place, as a brush would not grip the transfer sufficiently. I used the 9 upside down to create the second 6 on each side to avoid having to cut more than two rows deep into the transfer sheet. 47656 has no name, so I did not have to add an etched name plate.

 

Here is a close-up of the result:

 

41772163792_a8002fcf39_b.jpgRenumbered Graham Farish Class 47 (detail) by James Petts, on Flickr

 

As with the carriage, as my matt varnish order has not arrived, I have not been able to varnish the surface (which hopefully will reduce the gloss effect of the Brasso), but the results seem encouraging so far.

 

Here are some comparison photographs of my renumbered 47656 next to the original 47535:

 

26946162937_2e3a0663ef_b.jpgGraham Farish Class 47 renumbering: before and after by James Petts, on Flickr

 

41097333754_142bfd2da3_b.jpgGraham Farish Class 47 renumbering: before and after by James Petts, on Flickr

 

40915753035_2ab80e28c7_b.jpgGraham Farish Class 47 renumbering: before and after by James Petts, on Flickr

 

40915755965_590d93607b_b.jpgGraham Farish Class 47 renumbering: before and after by James Petts, on Flickr

 

41814015081_3dbe8bb9ac_b.jpgGraham Farish Class 47 renumbering: before and after by James Petts, on Flickr

 

I plan to retain 47535 with its original number, as the model depicts the livery that this locomotive carried during 1989.

 

Here are some pictures of the locomotive and carriage together:

 

40915736075_cdcfa4d2e5_b.jpgRenumbered locomotive and carriage by James Petts, on Flickr

 

41772161342_30f57c7062_b.jpgRenumbered locomotive and carriage by James Petts, on Flickr

 


 

I am quite pleased with this for a first attempt. I look forward to finishing these properly with the varnish and having a go at some more renumbering, as there is quite a lot to do, especially of carriages and multiple units, but also other locomotives.

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Hi James

Good first attempt to be sure, funnily I was doing N gauge numbers myself last night.

 

In terms of applying numbers a couple of things might help you based on my experiences, I've got an entire fleet of renumbered locos and carriages so have made all the mistakes.

 

I'd suggesting getting your hands on some microsol and microset liquids. I use the red one, microsol, to set the decals onto the surface. Its great stuff, easy to use and makes decals 'grab'to the surface and settle down. Worth reading up on and trying to utilise if you like it.

 

 

Secondly and its not easy in N is to line up and square off the individual digits under a magnifying glass or similar, its very easy to not get digits quite lined up right with the naked eye.

I tend to use modelling masking tape below the digits, maybe a mm or two below where the numbers are going to go to aid as alignment aid to the eye. Dont put it too close as when you lift the tape it could well lift the nicely aligned digits.

 

Not meaning to be unfairly critical but if you zoom in on the digits on the 47 they arent quite right and even though you'd think its just fractions, which it is, in my experience that not getting it right can eventually be seen and once you see it you can't unsee it.

 

I've zoomed in to hopefully illustrate ...I think for me my eye is drawn to the 7 in particular as being slightly out.

post-81-0-55725200-1525291524.jpg

 

Takes a bit of practice but its worth getting right IMO.

 

Finally and again its just experience I tend to prefer a satin varnish sealing coat, not much in it against matt but the satin has just a touch of sheen rather than completely flat.

 

Heres the cabside digits and tender roundel I did last night, still to be varnished but set with microsol.

post-81-0-62884400-1525292067_thumb.jpg

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Another couple of things that spring to mind that may help....

 

Manouvering the transfer I use the tip of one leg of the finest of fine tweezers that I own to just nudge the transfer into the right place. I think a cocktail stick is not quite fine enough in terms of control.

 

Aditionaly now that I think about it what I'd do for the 47 numbers is mask up a template making sure it was parallel to both horizontal bits of the loco, i.e cantrail and bottom of body but within that template give yourself 3-4mm wiggle room to put the transfers down and nudge them about. The template would allow space for all the 5 digits plus wiggle room and means you wont lift the digits when you peel of the template. Doing that I think make its much easier to see that digits are aligned correctly in both vertical and horizontal.

 

Hope this all helps, keep going youve made a great first attempt and you will only learn.

 

Ps tamiya tape is great for templates and masking.

Edited by millerhillboy
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Thank you for your feedback - that is most helpful. I noticed that the 47 was fractionally out on that side (with this set of transfers, the number 47 came together, so the whole thing is tilted slightly). The template/masking idea is a very interesting one. Most of the rest of the renumberings that I will be doing will involve somewhat smaller numbers than this (until the Dapol class 50s are released next year, at least), either the very small carriage/multiple unit numbers or the slightly larger NetworkSouthEast or InterCity locomotive numbers, so I am not sure how well that masking would work for that.

 

Presumably, for masking to work effectively, one has to cut the backing paper exactly perpendicular so that the numbers all stop square on the tape? Would a set square help in doing this, do you think, and in aligning the masking tape? Can you think of any way of making sure that one cuts the backing paper at exactly the same distance from the bottom of each number so that they all align exactly?

 

I will look into buying some of that masking tape - that does look useful. Do you find it helpful in number removal, too, if the number to be removed is next to some painted detail that is not to be removed?

 

Edit: It seems that this tape comes in different widths - for N gauge, what width do you recommend?

Edited by jamespetts
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Yes perhaps for smaller numbers the template idea doesn't really work or is needed but in that case what I might do is regularly offer up something with a sharp straight edge to check alignment or just lay down a strip off tamiya tape somewhere in the region of the digits being applied to act as a visual check.

 

Tamiya tape 6mm is handy for all sorts of jobs.

 

So tamiya tape is excellent and retains its stick over multiple applications and reapplications so what i did for example for the tender roundels, is to cover the side of the tender in overlapping tape to cover the area. I'd trim the excess with scalpel so basically i had the shape of the tender side in masking tape. Id then pèel off the template and transfer it to my cuttting mat and stick it down again.

From there I can measure the centre of the tender with a ruler and sharp pencil and mark the centre, I then offer up my decal (still with backing paper) and site it over the centre and mark the space the decal will fill plus as I say a good few mm's wiggle room. I then with a sharp scalpel cut out from the masking tape this 'hole' in the template.

I then remove the template from the cutting mat and move back accurately onto the tender side and because tamiya tape is so good its still easily sticky enough. I've now got a template on the tender with a decal (+ wiggle) sized hole in the centre.

 

When I'm cutting the hole in the template I make sure the hole I cut has parallel cuts to both horizontal and vertical sides of the tender. That way even though the hole in the template is a good bit bigger than the decal it is very very easy to check alignment againt the hole sides that are right beside the decal as you manouevere it rather than an edge some distance away.

 

After that I seperate the decal from its backing, plop it down in the hole in the template and then using the sides of the hole for reference you use something pretty sharp to manouevre the decal into place.

 

The only thing you need to be careful off is that when you lift the template you havent overlapped any decals over the template, hence the good few mm's wiggle room.

I also try to minimise the excess space round the decals when I cut them to minimse the chance of being near any tape I've got on the model, again a magnifying glass and a new scalpel blade is best.

I dont worry how i cut the the digits out, they dont need to the same or have the same height or same bottom edges. I'm not using the template as a physical edge, but more a visual edge. If you tried to somehow butt up digits to the template edge the decals would almost certainly lift when you pull off the template hence the wiggle room around the decal.

Edited by millerhillboy
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So in your case what I would do is use the vertical edge of the yellow cab and the bottom of the body side as my two reference lines. Basically you want the digits to follow those.

 

I'd join strips of tape vertically lined up against the yellow and then attach strips until the number area was covered.

 

I would also say tamiya tape is semi transparent so perhaps what I might have done is made the template before I remove the original numbers from the loco . With the tape over I suspect you would easily see the original digits ànd therefore you could mark on the area to cut the hole in the template. Remove the template from the loco and apply to cutting mat again making it safe to cut the hole. Cut the hole making sure the edges of your hole are parallel with the edges of your template and then reapply the template to the model now with digits stripped.

 

In your case I'd cut a hole that covered the 5 digits and then a few mm wiggle room. You'll be surprised how obvious a wonky digit, even though its fraction here we are talking about, looks with respect to the edges of the hole in your template.

 

I found this the best way to get tender decals sited centrally without marking the model in anyway.

 

For the above cabside digits on 60152 above I didnt use either a template or even a bit tape as a guide because I had the orange cabside lining to act as a visual guide very nearby. However the j39 which is unlined I did use a strip of tamiya tape set paralel to tbe cab bottom edge just to act as a visual guide.

Edited by millerhillboy
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As for removing i dont use tape, but i use the blue microset, cover what i want to remove with it and let it sit a few minutes.

I then use a faber-castell eraser pencil that has been sharpened using a regular pencil sharpener and using the eraser pencil 'rub out' what I want pretty accuately.

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I have ordered some of the 6mm tape. May I ask - is the MicroSol any good for persuading waterslide transfers to form themselves to the shape of details on the underlying body? I have a blue and grey Class 121 to modify with some NSE branding which may need to be applied over door gaps.

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I have ordered some of the 6mm tape. May I ask - is the MicroSol any good for persuading waterslide transfers to form themselves to the shape of details on the underlying body? I have a blue and grey Class 121 to modify with some NSE branding which may need to be applied over door gaps.

Thats exactly what its for, it softens up the decal.

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Thats exactly what its for, it softens up the decal.

 

Splendid, thank you. (Actually, checking the photographs again, this particular decal does not need to be applied over raised/indented detail, as it would have been immediately under the guard's compartment, but it is useful to know this for reference in future).

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Splendid, thank you. (Actually, checking the photographs again, this particular decal does not need to be applied over raised/indented detail, as it would have been immediately under the guard's compartment, but it is useful to know this for reference in future).

 

Even if the decal isn't over detail, which often they aren't, then I still use it as you can see it working. It really makes the decal merge into the surface and blend in. Then I would usethe  gentlest of gentle taps down once the microsol has done its work. I use a square of toilet roll pressed down with a soft soft brush just to flatten the decal down really works nicely. I'd guard against being overzealous with the damping down at this stage because the microsol really has the decal soft and its very easy to lift it, but if you get it right then it really flattens the decals to the surface.

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Even if the decal isn't over detail, which often they aren't, then I still use it as you can see it working. It really makes the decal merge into the surface and blend in. Then I would usethe  gentlest of gentle taps down once the microsol has done its work. I use a square of toilet roll pressed down with a soft soft brush just to flatten the decal down really works nicely. I'd guard against being overzealous with the damping down at this stage because the microsol really has the decal soft and its very easy to lift it, but if you get it right then it really flattens the decals to the surface.

 

Interesting - does it make a noticeable difference even on flat surfaces to the finished effect?

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Interesting - does it make a noticeable difference even on flat surfaces to the finished effect?

 

I'd tend to say yes, I certainly use it every time. Its easy to do once you've got the hang of it. Worth playing about with first perhaps but I'd say yes.

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Interesting, thank you. May I ask what the difference on flat surfaces is?

 

There's not much in it but for me it just looks like the decal has grabbed the surface that wee bit more and is completely flat. I think also it might merge the cut edges of the decal into the surface that little bit more.

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My matt varnish did not arrive, so I ordered some satin varnish (the Vallejo acrylic). My initial experiences with this have not been entirely positive, as brushing it on left a rather blotchy, uneven look. I had initially diluted it with water; I later watched a video advising not to dilute it.

 

Is brush application of this sort of varnish with an even result possible?

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My matt varnish did not arrive, so I ordered some satin varnish (the Vallejo acrylic). My initial experiences with this have not been entirely positive, as brushing it on left a rather blotchy, uneven look. I had initially diluted it with water; I later watched a video advising not to dilute it.

 

Is brush application of this sort of varnish with an even result possible?

Not for me no.

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Does this mean that renumbering is not realistically possible without an air brush?

No i dont have one!!

 

Depending on the surface I might very lightly brush some satin paint with a brush in the area of the decal application.

 

Generally though removing decals with the eraser pencil leaves a shiney enough area and that combined with microsol tends to work for me.

 

If you really wanted to you use an aerosol can, which is what I use to apply a sealing coat.

 

Concidentally I sealed my 60152 yesterday with games workshop satin and i think its came out well.

post-81-0-12628200-1526129202_thumb.jpg

Edited by millerhillboy
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Thank you for that. When you refer to satin paint, do you mean coloured paint or clear varnish? I have found that removing the original numbers with Brasso makes the underlying area shinier than the original model, which then looks uneven compared to the surrounding area. The satin varnish has the right level of surface reflaction to match with the original tone (and also helps to protect the decals), but I have yet to achieve a good even application of it, and I do not possess an airbrush.

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Thank you for that. When you refer to satin paint, do you mean coloured paint or clear varnish? I have found that removing the original numbers with Brasso makes the underlying area shinier than the original model, which then looks uneven compared to the surrounding area. The satin varnish has the right level of surface reflaction to match with the original tone (and also helps to protect the decals), but I have yet to achieve a good even application of it, and I do not possess an airbrush.

Yes satin clear paint sorry, I put it on very sparingly with the smallest brush and only locally where the decal is going. If I'm doing this which as I say I don't always I also feather the edge of the satin clear area, not just paint a square or obviously shaped area.

 

I tend to find that the final sealing coat which I apply across the whole model using games workshop aerosol tends to hide any variances in the underlying colour so I dont tend to worry about colour variation too much.

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